Traumatic brain injuries: types and symptoms

Traumatic brain injuries can lead to emergency room visits, hospitalizations and deaths. There are around 1.7 million such cases every year in Michigan and across the United States. TBIs can arise out of car accidents, falls from elevated surfaces and contact sports like football, and two types of TBIs exist: open and closed.

Falls and other incidents where the head comes in contact with a hard surface lead to an open injury, which involves the fracturing of the skull. Closed brain injuries may not fracture the skull, but they could still cause the brain to swell or form blood clots.

Bruising and tearing are among the most common injuries, the former often raising the risk for bleeding and the latter sometimes contributing to nerve damage. As for swelling, this can create intracranial pressure, which also impairs bodily functions. Symptoms of a TBI include difficulty remembering things or concentrating, nausea and dizziness, numbness on one side and continual fatigue.

TBI victims are expected to undergo a medical evaluation, especially if they intend to seek compensation for their injuries. An evaluation can help determine how much they might be eligible for based on the TBI’s impact on, for instance, the victim’s ability to work and live independently. Victims may need ongoing physical therapy to cope with their condition.

Those who incur a traumatic brain injury through little or no fault of their own may, indeed, be reimbursed for their losses, such as their medical expenses, lost wages and pain and suffering, if they file a personal injury claim. Such claims cannot be taken lightly, so victims may do well to have a lawyer by their side. The lawyer may represent them at the negotiation table, and if a settlement cannot be reached, the lawyer may prepare the case for court.